1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of inkjet printers, and more specifically, to piezoelectric inkjet print heads.
2. Description of Related Art
Ink jet printers, and more particularly, drop-on-demand inkjet print heads having a piezoelectric transducer actuated by electrical signals, are known in the art. Typical print heads consist of a transducer mechanically coupled to an ink chamber, wherein the application of an electrical signal to the transducer material causes the transducer to deform in shape or dimension within or into the ink chamber, thereby resulting in the expulsion of ink from an ink chamber orifice. One disadvantage of prior art print head structures is that they are relatively large in overall dimension, and thus cannot be placed together into a densely packed array; this reduces available output dot density, which will decrease the overall output definition of a printer. Another disadvantage with prior art devices is that the large number of components in these devices tend to increase the costs and difficulty of manufacture. Further, the prior art structures, when placed next to each other within an array to create a multi-channel print head, tend to produce undesirable "crosstalk" between adjacent ink chambers, which interfaces with the accurate ejection of ink from the print head.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a print head structure which can be advantageously and economically manufactured, but can also be placed in a densely packed array of such structures for a multiple-channel print head for increased output dot density. Further, there is a need for a multi-channel print head structure which minimizes undesirable crosstalk effects.